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Dave McIntyre/West London Sport - Talk is cheap but Fernandes is delivering on promisesIt was another orgy of hype and self-congratulation, only this time it wasn’t entirely unjustified.

The
glitzy QPR press conference is nothing new these days. Neither is the
choice of a central London landmark as a venue, although Monday’s
unveiling of Park Ji-sung on the 29th floor of Millbank Tower was
certainly original.

It was also quite apt, given its association with spin.

And
Alastair Campbell, who famously operated from there in the 1990s, would
have approved of Tony Fernandes’ typically polished performance.

In
the years before Fernandes took over as chairman, QPR’s grand – often
bordering on ridiculous – press conferences reminded me of a Bond-film
villain, Elliot Carver, in Tomorrow Never Dies.

Carver, a dictatorial, self-assured middle-aged media magnate with grey hair and dodgy glasses, is not a pleasant character.

At
one stage, he chillingly declares: “Let the mayhem begin,” which again
made a comparison with Rangers seem very appropriate at the time.

The style is different these days, but it’s substance that matters.

What
became immediately clear with the previous regime – and what made the
initial adulation surrounding them so sickening to witness – was that
there was always going to be a huge difference between words and
actions.

There was talk of building an infrastructure and not simply spending loads of money.

But
from the start it was spend, spend, spend while not investing – and
even cutting back – in areas in which Rangers were already lagging
behind even third-tier clubs.

There often remains a big difference between what is being said by QPR and what is happening or looking likely to happen.

There
is still talk of building sensibly while a staggering amount is
splashed out, mainly on players with no potential sell-on value, as the
club repeatedly signs half a team during every transfer window as if
it’s a perfectly natural and sensible thing to do.

But, unlike his predecessors, Fernandes can claim to be delivering on his rhetoric.

The new training ground at Warren Farm will become a reality, even if not as soon as was hoped.

A radical overhaul of the club’s previously neglected youth system isn’t just being talked about. It’s happening.

The appointment of Mike Rigg as technical director was also a very significant step and a real statement of intent.

And
with the signing of Park, Fernandes is also delivering on a pledge to
only sign Asian players for football reasons, with the obvious spin-offs
and personal satisfaction for him merely huge bonuses.

Buying
players to indulge the chairman’s ideal vision would be stupid. But so
too would passing up the chance to sign a Champions League and Premier
League-winning cross between Manny Pacquiao and Gareth Ainsworth.

Park is such a good signing for Rangers and ticks so many boxes it’s hard to know where to start.

He
will of course help establish QPR in a large part of the world, making
the deal a commercial dream for the likes of Fernandes.

But he is also, by coincidence, exactly what Rangers need on the pitch.

He’s
a talented, versatile and jaw-droppingly tireless player. He’s hugely
experienced, a proven winner and, crucially, is known as a model
professional – and that’s important at a club that has for too long had
so much more money than sense.

In the dressing room, and to young
players coming through, he will be seen as someone who does the right
things and sets the right example.

He’s not your typical
modern-day footballler. Rangers have spent too much money on too many
typical modern-day footballers in recent years.

Also, a lack of
‘legs’ throughout the side, especially in midfield, was a major problem
for much of last season and has been emphatically addressed with the
purchases of Park and Samba Diakite.

Those signings should also help improve QPR’s away form this season, which Mark Hughes knows is vital to their prospects.

Contrast that with the arrival of Italian players and Italian methods simply to satisfy the owner’s agenda.

It’s
a level above, and this was acknowledged by Hughes, who spoke at the
press conference on that key issue of actions speaking louder than words
when he thanked Fernandes and co for delivering on promises to him.

A manager happy because he’s spending big and signing who he wants isn’t necessarily a good sign, I’d argue.

But it is noticeable that Hughes is not alone in crediting Fernandes with delivering on his rhetoric.

Rigg,
youth development manager Steve Gallen and other key figures inside the
club also privately say similar things. That tells us a lot.

There
are challenges ahead, the biggest of which – one that will truly define
Fernandes as chairman, and when his cards will well and truly be laid
on the table – is the proposed move to a 45,000-capacity stadium in
which current QPR fans may be almost outnumbered.

Those who
believe Rangers wouldn’t fill such a venue should imagine not the Ricoh
Arena, but a larger version of Simon Barker’s testimonial.

That vision of the future might not please everyone. For now though, Fernandes can do no wrong. West London Sport